The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-09-22

my ear:
"What does it matterp Marry the
lady. Your little shop girl does not
know anything about you. Keep your
fortune and your sweetheart Also"
managed my little affair SO as to
avoid suspicion on both Sides Reckless
of the wrong I was doing to two good
and pure young girls, l fioated down
the stream toward my wedding day.
But Satan always deserts his friends
at last. A letter from my father. which
l had recklessly carried about me, fell
from my pocket unseen by me one
night as parted from Airline.
She read it. Perhaps jealousy
prompted her; and she fancied that she
might have discovered rivals billet
doux. At all events she read it, and
learned from it all the truth. Charged
with it. l could not deny the facts.
could only VOW that loved her and
her alone. Poor child As she listened l
saw all hope and sweetness die out of
her face. White and despairing. with
her eyes dilating and her lips set hard,
she looked at me and said nothing,
she drowned herse If in the Seine that
night, and when next saw her it was
upon u marble slab in the Morgue, her
hands upon her breast her hair falling
about her like black veil, my ring
upon her finger. My friend, I did not
marry Mile. Moran. Remorse over
whelmed me at last. confessed all to
my father. broke my engagement and
leaving home and friends behind me,
enlisted in the army. sought death.
Those who seek him he shuns. was
called brave man Who that hated
life would not he brave When you
knew me I wore the captains epaul-
cites.
need not tell you of my soldiers
life or of the wounds by which l Was
invalided.
Hearing of them. my father. who
had at last forgiven me, bestowed upon
me his pardon and gave me this little
place at st. Sauveur. Here have
lived ever since, a helpless, shattered
wreck. almost incapable of motion. 1t
is fysyears since came here, and at
the end of the second began the incred-
IDLE part of my story.
My temper, as you know, was none
of the best, and I hated the sight of man
at times Greatly as needed him, l
often drove my attached old soldier
servant from me. aud. one day, when l
had done this, sat alone in my great
chair by the seward window of my
sleeping apartment, when a very
strange thing happened to me. felt
hand upon my head. 1t was wo-
mans hand, soft and warm and gentle.
1t trifled with my curls in fashion
that thrilled me with memories of the
past.
was not frightened. Twas simply
perplexed. I spoke. said: us some
one near me whom I do not see?' but
there was no answer. Soon fell as
leep, lulled as babe might be by its
mothers caresses by that phantom
| touch.
This happened more than once. Then
still stranger things occurred. I became
aware that some ministering creature
was near me. Inanimate objects we're
moved toward me at my need, without
any visible human agency.
Books we're brought within my reach.
Flowers were plucked from the vines
without the door. A glass of my wine
was poured out and set before me, and
after all these little Offices came soft
caresses. A kiss, a touch of a hand
upon my cheek. The most loving and
tender being was this sprite, and I
longed to see it with longing in
describable. Twas no longer unhappy.
1 grew almost gay. still drove my
servant away. but, it was that this un :
seen being might manifest itself to me.
You, my dear friend, remember,
use to congratulate me on my recover
ed spirits. never told you the cause.
l dreaded that revelation of the truth
might drive my spirit love forever from
my side.
I have told you all that there is to
tell, 1 think. After all, when one
comes to write it down it is not so
much. sum it up in these few words:
Whenever was alone this unseen form
was beside me. At night I felt a
woman's cheek against my own; by
day there was loving, miuistering
creature at my side. prayed for an
audible word, for one glimpse of this
fond being, over and over again, but
heard and saw nothing. The longing
withip me grew intense. / pleaded with
heaven for more than had been given
me. At last my prayer was answered.
My own hand was seized as sat at my
writing-table. Great irregular char
acters were dashed across the paper.
They read thus:
You ask for what would give you
pain. Let matters remain as they are.
One is near you who loves you so that
her spirit has won its way earthward
to minister unto you."
wrote beneath these lines: LET NE
see her."
And then this was written: s'You
shall have your way. Tonight you
shall see her,"
How I waited for tp-night's coming
How eagerly my eyes sought to pierce
the shadows of the gathering twilight
sent my servant away upon an errand
which must detain him for hours, and
l forbade him to light lamp.
As the shadows thickened I grew
more and more wrestless. Had I bee \
deceivedp Would my wish actually bt
gratified Where were the hands that
were usually lowering about me ?
What was this feeling of loneliness and